With changing life patterns, altered attitudes and trends in society at large, the field of sports has also adapted to the demands of public opinion. When long, drawn-out Test cricket grew unpopular with spectators, the One-day pattern was evolved which increased the popularity of the game all over the world.

Badminton today, is also going through a process of adapting to the changing environment and evolving new patterns of the game.

The International Badminton Federation (IBF), who author the laws of the Game, is coming out with an entirely new set of laws for the game, which will be effective from August 1, 1998. The IBF went through a very long process of deliberations and experiments to arrive at the decision to modify the rules of the game.

The process commenced almost three years ago with the Laws and Rules Committee of the IBF at the helm of the affairs. A request was made to all concerned to come forth with ideas to make the game interesting. The ideas were prioritised and working groups were set up to study and carry out experiments on the main workable ideas in various tournaments. The reactions of the players, spectators, umpires, media were studied. The reports of the working groups were deliberated not only in the committee but also amongst the member associations and consensus was reached on the basic ideas to be adopted.

Conscious efforts were made to retain the fundamental foundation of the game while making modifications to meet the demands of the media. The first draft of the text of the new laws was circulated for comments during March 1997 and after incorporating the accepted suggestions, a second exposure draft was released in the month of October 1997. Recently, the final draft was placed before the Annual General Meeting of the IBF for approval and the same was adopted unanimously.

Therising popularity of the game in the media has prompted the IBF to make the game more sponsor and media friendly. There are two major changes made in the playing patterns. Firstly, an interval up to 90 seconds has been allowed between the first and second game. In any case, there used to be a time lag for commencement of the second game due to change of ends by the players on conclusion of the first and also changing of shirts in hot conditions. There was no time limit fixed for such an ``unofficial'' interval and the discretion of deciding the reasonableness of such an interval was totally left to the discretion of the umpire. Media personnel wanted intervals after scoring half the points in a game so that they could utilise the available interval to cater to the needs of sponsors and commercials. However, during this time interval, the players cannot avail of coaching from their coaches.

A second major change has come in setting regulations. If the scores are levelled at 13-all in the case of Men's singles and all doubles and 9-all in the case of women's singles, the side that reached that score first had the option of setting the game (i.e. playing extra points) to 5 points or 3 points respectively. If the option of setting was not exercised at the first occasion (i.e. if the side does not set the game at 13-all or 9-all as the case may be) and where a second opportunity arose, (i.e. if the scores are again levelled at 14-all or 10-all, as the case may be), the side which reaches that score first had the option of setting the game to 3 points and 2 points respectively. Now in the new amended rules, after the leading side, in case of men's singles and all doubles reached 14 points and in case of women's singles reaches 10 points, such side shall have the option of either continuing the game to 15 points (in case of ladies' singles, 11 points) or to set the game to continue till 17 points (13points in case of ladies' singles) i.e. to set the game to 3 points. This has simplified the procedure of setting the game under various circumstances and also has helped reduce the duration of a match.

Apart from the fundamental changes in the earlier laws, there have been a number of modification in text, that have tended towards clarifying or simplifying the earlier laws. The modified wordings have also intended to plug the loopholes that gave rise to practical difficulties. In making these modifications, the basic principles have remained unchanged.

The IBF has decided to review these rules every year but to bring in major changes only after every four years. Whether these modifications will help popularise the game among those who count, only time will tell.